Today, September 25th, 2019, marks World Lung Day, a day for advocacy and action, and an opportunity for everyone to promote better lung health globally.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today launched its annual Air Quality report, on World Lung Day. The report shows that while air quality complied with the legal limits, the World Health Organization’s health-related guideline values were not being met.
Air quality impacts people’s health and there are an estimated 1,180 premature deaths here in Ireland, per year, due to air pollution. Levels of particulate matter (fine particles) in our air remains a growing concern.
Levels of this pollutant are particularly high during the winter months when people’s use of solid fuels, such as coal, peat and wood impacts negatively on air quality, especially in small towns and villages.
The EPA report notes that any movement along the spectrum of home heating choices and solid fuel choices towards cleaner modes will have a subsequent improvement on air quality.
In urban areas, transport related emissions of nitrogen dioxide are increasing, and it looks probable that Ireland will exceed the EU annual legal limit value for nitrogen dioxide in the near future.
In launching the report, ‘Air Quality in Ireland 2018’, Dr Micheál Lehane, Director of the EPA’s Office of Radiation Protection & Environmental Monitoring, has stated;
“We all expect that the air we breathe is clean, but we cannot take this for granted. Air pollution is a major environmental risk to health, so it is now time to tackle the two key issues that impact negatively on air quality in Ireland – transport emissions in large urban areas and emissions from burning of solid fuels. The choices we make affect the levels of pollution in the air we breathe. We need to decarbonise our public transport system and in general reduce our reliance on internal combustion vehicles. Moving to cleaner ways of heating our homes will also significantly improve air quality in our towns and cities.”
Dr Ciara McMahon, EPA Programme Manager has stated;
“The EPA’s air quality monitoring has shown that, while Ireland’s air quality complied with the EU legal standards in 2018, the levels of fine particles in the air we breathe did not meet the World Health Organization’s guideline values. Our monitoring also showed that in urban areas, the impact of traffic-related nitrogen dioxide pollution is increasing. These pollutants have a negative impact on people’s health and that is why we are continuing to install more monitoring stations across the country under the National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Programme. This programme has now more than doubled the number of real-time monitoring stations providing air quality data across Ireland since 2017.”
The EU has introduced and implemented a range of legal instruments to improve air quality, these standards are still not in line with the tighter WHO air quality guidelines. The EPA has previously called for movement towards the adoption of these stricter guidelines, as legal and enforceable standards across Europe and in Ireland.
The Air Quality in Ireland 2018 report is available on the EPA website. The EPA continually monitors air quality across Ireland and provides the air quality index for health and real-time results online at www.airquality.epa.ie. Results are updated hourly on the website, and people can log on at any time to check whether the current air quality is good, fair or poor.
It had been widely broadcast by local Town Councillors, that work on the revamping of Liberty Square in Thurles would commence in August 2019. Now however, according to Co. Council officials, the first week of September last, only saw tenders being sought for the first time.
Liberty Square, Thurles.(Top of picture facing in an easterly direction). Picture G. Willoughby
Plans had been finalised and initially announced in February 2017, now nearly 3 years later, the successful contractor is expected to be appointed in mid-October 2019, possibly start work on the new car park at the end of October or early November of this year, on the new carpark, demolished some 16 months ago and then neglected. The appointed contractor is expected to finish this carpark area by March or April of 2020, thus hopefully continuing to grant consumer access to the centre of Thurles.
In February / March of 2020, the Co. County officials promise that we should see the beginning of the temporary, yet necessary removal of some currently existing street furniture on Liberty Square itself, followed by new road re-alignments and the later re-introduction of both old and new street furniture, together with the new revised traffic management plan.
When it comes to announcements from reticent, cagy and guarded officials in Tipperary Co. Council, we have all learned to refrain from holding our breath.
A new daily Local Link bus service route, (391) in conjunction with the National Transport Authority, will connect Thurles (Departing Thurles Railway Station) with Limerick, beginning its service on Monday next, September 23rd.
Thurles – Limerick New Local Link Bus Timetable
This route will include stops in Ballycahill; Upperchurch; Kilcommon; Rearcross; Newport; Knockbrack; University College Limerick (UL), haulting at Authors Quay.
Same is expected to bring about a permanent enhancement and a long-term transport solution to meet the needs of 3rd level students, city and town shoppers and other visiting commuters, living in these rural areas.
The first daily service will depart from Thurles at 7:00am, while the last daily service will depart at 4:00pm.
The first return bus service (Departing Author’s Quay) from Limerick will leave at 8.50am, with the last service departing this same return Limerick – Thurles route at 5.50pm.
Note: All services will be in operation seven days a week, including Bank Holiday Mondays.
A couple of places to avoid in your rush to view the new An Post offices in Thurles Shopping Centre, come Monday morning next.
Well, unless of course you are on the look out for the opportunity to make a compensation claim against the Thurles Municipal District Council and Tipperary Co. Council.
(Area 1) Try to avoid the corner of Thomond Road and Slievenamon Road (See picture 1 above) where the footpath collapsed 8 years ago. You will note that earlier this year areas of this footpath were partially repaired, (Picture 2 shows the evidence) leaving the worst area unattended.
Obviously, the contractor involved ran out of cement or water or could it be Tipperary Co. Council ran out of money. Whatever, who really gives a damn.
(Area 2) Meanwhile, the other area to avoid, takes us to Emmett Street, (See picture 3 above). Emmett street (For the benefit of unfamiliar Tipp Co. Council engineers) can be found south of Barry’s Bridge, Thurles. Here we have a subsidence in the roadway.
No it is not a pothole; we can recognise potholes, last count there were 73,254.5 potholes in just Thurles streets alone and increasing. No this is most definitely a gradual caving in or sinking of an area of tarmac. Here is an ideal chance to upgrade, if your suspensions or steering rack are a bit wonky, if you know what I mean.
Makes one wonder though in the latter case. Could someone be attempting to tunnel out of the town in an effort to find employment.
Trusting this information is of some help when you go out and about on Monday next.
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